Bagels and Lox in Orange County, CA? It's Doable

After a recent whirlwind weekend in New York City, where I had the best bagels and lox EVER, in two of the smallest delis EVER, I wanted to hunt up some when I came home to Orange County, California. Maybe it really is the water in The Big Apple! I've had more bagels in my almost 50 years than I care to acknowledge, but none have ever been as wonderfully flavorful, chewy on the outside and just the right amount of density on the inside like the ones I had out there! And the lox was melt in your mouth perfect. Tasted like the best sushi grade salmon. I didn't even have cream cheese on either of my tries and it was still the best, hands down.

This experience got me thinking about Orange County's version of this deli brunch favorite. I knew there just had to be some places that could compare, even if it was in the minutest of ways!

Here are some of the ones you might want to check out:

Katella Bakery and Deli-this restaurant has been around the county in Los Alamitos for over 40 years! They've moved once, made the looks more presentable, most of the time been a family run organization and an institution the entire time. They aren't gourmet and the flavor choices for the bagels are pretty traditional but you do have the stereotypical deli waitresses on hand. There's also a choice of machine cut lox or hand sliced belly lox available. Both are good, but the belly lox is worth the added expense. Less salty, nicer texture. Because the deli and bakery are on the premises, you can either eat in the restaurant or wait in the lines and chose what you want and take the spread home. There's also the added bonus of the rest of the goodies at both counters. Get there early though, the lines are always a test of endurance, especially on Sundays!

Jerry's Famous Deli-this Costa Mesa hot spot is a chain, known for it's large portions. Honestly, I think it's mostly hype, but many seem to like going to Jerry's. Maybe it's the reputation from the ones in Los Angeles. If you like big, loud places with okay food and high prices, you'll probably like Jerry's.

Manhattan Deli-This used to be called New York Deli, and for some reason this mediocre place changed the name and made a huge bar in the middle of the dining area. Service was incredibly slow and had no personality on each of the three trips I made there. They said they brought in the bagels from the San Fernando Valley, but they were just okay and the lox was pretty salty. But like Katella and Jerry's, if you like a sit down meal, this one is full service. A bit more upscale looking than the first two-done in shiny blacks and reds.

Solomon's Bakery and Coffeehouse-Great bagels and bakery. Family run by a husband and wife team. They started in this Laguna Hills locations over 15 years ago and have done a nice job of showing South Orange County about the tastes of New York baking with the modern twist of adding on the gourmet coffeehouse. Nice, cozy feel and the food is good. I liked the atmosphere and the taste. Isn't that what you want from this homespun sandwich? Plus, as a coffee hound, I want my bagel and lox with a good cup of joe! Something that all three of the above restaurants totally neglect to do!

Brueggers-okay, it's a chain. But the coffee is good, the bagel flavors are interesting and more often fresh and hot out of the oven than the rest of the aforementioned restaurants. Lox-mediocre, most people I've seen go with the lox spread. The spread is really just cream cheese with lox snippets mushed n, but that's what's popular. But again, the good thing here is that the bagels are always popping out of the oven and there are so many choices that if putting a twist on the usual is your thing, check it out!

Remember, these may not be New York bagels or lox, but if you live in Orange County or are visiting and have a yen for this deli favorite, go and get your itch scratched at one of these favorite spots.